Polishing apparatus



' Dec. 4, 1934.

POLISHING APPARATUS J. L. DRAKE 4 1,982,648

Filed July 24, 1931 v V :s Sheets-Sheet 1 inventor John L. DraKe Dec. 4, 1934'. J, L, DR KE 1,982,648

POLISHINGAPPARATUS Filed July 24, .1931 I v 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 /5 -3 36! EM :7 X f v I i l l l b 29 I a i 4 I i za- I 3 2a z: 2o 14 /7 /z' ,1;

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 4, 1934.

J. L. DRAKE POLI SHING APPARATUS Filed July 24, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet s ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1934 .UNITED STATES POLISHING APPARATUS John L. Drake, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Libbey- Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio. a

corporation of Ohio Application July 24, 1931, Serial No. 552,926

Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to polishing apparatus and is particularly designed for use in the so-called continuous system for surfacing sheet glass, although it is of course not nec- 5 essarily restricted thereto.

In the. continuous system referred to above, a plurality of sheets of glass to be surfaced are mounted upon a series or train of cars ortables and passed in a definite substantially horizontal path first beneath a series of grinding machines and then beneath a series of polishing machines to surface one side of the sheets, after which the said sheets are turned over upon the tables, and again passed beneath the same or a second series of grinding and polishing machines to surface the -second side.

The polishing machines employed in this system ordinarily include a horizontal runner frame carried at the lower end of a vertical drive spindle 20 and being in turn provided with a plurality of polishing blocks or runners, the operative faces of which are covered with pads of felt or the like which are adapted to come into contact with and polish the surface of the glass. The polishing action is accomplished by the relative movement between the polishing pads and glass in conjunction with a polishing medium such as rouge or the like which is usually supplied upon the glass and carried thereby beneath said pads. After acertain period of use, however, there is a tendency for the polishing pads or felts to become caked with the rouge and also to pick up glass particles etc. which become embedded therein so that it becomes necessary, at irregular intervals, to clean out the polishingfelts and this may be accomplished by a conventional washing operation.

with the customary methods now in vogue, when it is desired to clean the polishing felts, it is necessary to place the particular machine which is to be cleaned out of polishing operation by first lifting the polishing blocks from off the glass and then either entirely removing them from the machine or else bringing them into a position whereby they are accessible for washing and cleaning.

The cleaning of the polishing blocks is rendered particularly difilcult when the said blocks are carried upon the runner frame in a plurality of rows arranged one within the other. That is to say, while the polishing blocks of the outer row may be washed and cleaned without very much trouble, the cleaning of the blocks of the inner row is rendered considerably more diflicult due to the inaccessibility thereof.

The aim and principal object of this invention, therefore, resides in the provision of a polishing machine, the runner frame of which is so constructed that the cleaning of the felts of the polishing blocks carried thereby may be expeditiously efiected in a convenient and economical manner and without the necessity of stopping on the machine or placing it out of polishing operation.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a polishing machine, the runner frame of which is so constructed and the polishing 05 blocks associated therewith in such a manner that thecleaning of the polishing felts will be effected automatically by the rotation of the said blocks upon the glass during the polishing operation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a polishing machine wherein the polishing blocks are mounted upon the runner frame in va plurality of separate groups, the said groups being connected with one another in such a manner that the rotation of any one group relative to the runner frame will cause a corresponding rotation of all of the other groups.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connecso tion with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a plan view, partially broken away, 11- a5 lustrating one form of polishing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a. section taken substantially on line 2,2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a somewhat different form of apparatus.

In the continuous system for surfacing sheet glass,a plurality of cars or tables 5 mounted upon wheels 6 are movable along rails 7 in a definite substantially horizontal path to carry the glass sheets 8 mounted upon the tops thereof and preferably secured thereto by a layer of plaster of Paris or the like 9, first beneatha series of grinding machines and then beneath a series of polishing machines to surface the upper sides of the sheets. The glass sheets are then turned over upon the tables and again passed beneath the same or a second series of grinding and polishing machines to surface the second side.

As pointed out hereinabove, this invention relates to an improved type of polishing machine and is more especially concerned with the construction of the runner frame and the mounting of the individual polishing runners or blocks 110 thereupon. Therefore, only those portions of the machine which are necemary to a complete understanding of the invention have been illustrated in the drawings and will be described here- The polishing machine includes a vertical drive spindle 10 supported and driven in any desirable manner and having secured to its lower end the horizontally disposed annular runner frame 11. This runner frame comprises a hub 12 carrying a plurality of pairs of radiating arms 13 and 14, the arms of each pairbeing superimposed and spaced from one another. The lower arms 14 are shown as being formed integral with the hub 12, while the upper arms 13 are removably secured thereto by bolts or the like 33. All of the pairs of arms are connected at their outer ends to an annular frame or casing 15. This frame or casing may be of split construction and composed of the two parts 34 and 35 respectively, the upper part 34 being formed integral with the upper arms 13, while the lower part 35 is formed integral with arms 14. The upper part of the frame 15 may be secured to the lower part by bolts or the like 36. From the above, it will be seen that upon removal of the bolts 33 and 36, the upper arms 13 and upper part 34 of the frame 15 may be removed.

Loosely encircling the hub 12 and positioned between the spaced arms 13 and 14 is a collar 16 supported upon ball bearings 17. Carried. by or formed integral with this collar and radiating therefrom are a plurality of arms 18 connected at their outer ends by a ring gear 19 provided with teeth 20.

The frame or casing 15 is formed with a series of annular openings 21 equi-distantly spaced around the runner frame, and disposed within each opening is an individual spider frame 22 adapted to carry a plurality of individual polishing blocks or runners 23, the operative face of each of which is covered by a pad 24 of felt or the like. Each polishing block is carried at the lower end of a vertical spindle 25 which is loosely received within a bushing 26 mounted in the respective spider frame 22, said spindle being formed at its upper end with ahead 27 to prevent disengagement of the polishing block from the frame when the said frame is lifted upwardly. Each individual frame 22 is rotatably supported within its opening 21 upon ball bearings 28 and roller bearings 29 and is provided around its periphery with a series of gear teeth 30.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the gear teeth 30 of every other individual frame 22 are adapted to mesh with the teeth 20 of ring gear 19, while the gear teeth on the remaining frames 22 mesh with intermediate gears 31 which in turn mesh with gear 19. With such an arrangement, the adjacent groups of polishing blocks will be rotated in opposite directions upon rotation of gear 19. The individual frames 22 are positioned relatively close to one another, and the polishing blocks 23 are of such a size that the blocks of adjacent groups intermesh with one another upon rotation thereof. In other words, the paths of travel of the blocks of adjacent groups overlap one another. This positioning of the several groups of blocks is preferred since it is desirable to cover the surface of the glass with as much felt as possible.

From the above, it will be apparent that the gear 19 as well as the individual frames 22 are rotatable independently of the rotation of the runner frame 11 about the axis of the vertical spindle 10. It will also be noted that the runner frame is of such a size that it extends beyond the tables 5 at opposite sides thereof, with the result that upon rotation of the said runner frame. the outside polishing blocks 23 will be caused to overhang or project outwardly beyond the side edges of the said tables. Each of the openings 21 in frame 15 is adapted to have arranged thereover a suitable cover 32.

In accordance with the present invention, the cleaning of the felts 24 of the polishing blocks 23 is adapted to be effected in a convenient and economical manner and without the necessity of stopping the polishing machine or lifting the runner frame upwardly. As a matter of fact, it might be said that with the present arrangement, the polishing blocks are self-cleaning inasmuch as the cleaning thereof is accomplished automatically by the rotation of the said blocks upon the glass during the polishing operation. That is to say, as the outer polishing blocks pass first outwardly beyond the sides of the table and thence inwardly over the table upon rotation of therunner frame, the side edges of the glass sheets 8 as well as the side edges of the tables 5 will..function as scraping means to clean off the bottom of the said blocks and thus maintain the felts thereof clean and prevent a building up or caking oi the rouge thereon.

Of course, it is desirable that the inside polishing blocks as well as the outside blocks be kept clean, and the particular construction described hereinabove has been provided in order thatthe several individual groups of polishing blocks may be rotated in such a manner that the felts of all of the said blocks may be cleaned. This is accomplished due to the fact that the several groups of polishing blocks are freely rotatable independently of the rotation of the runner frame. For instance, during the polishing operation there will be a tendency for one or more of the groups of polishing blocks passing over the glass to be given a slight rotation at irregular intervals such as might be caused by a caking of the rouge upon the glass or by increased friction between the polishing felts and. glass. This rotation of any one of the groupsof polishing blocks will cause a corresponding rotation of all of the other groups relative to the runner frame and will consequently vary the positions of the polishing blocks relative to the side edges of the tables. In other words, duringthe polishing operation the several individual groups of polishing blocks will be gradually rotated relative to the runner frame so that the inside blocks will gradually become the outside blocks and, in this manner, all of the blocks will be kept relatively clean.

The form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 is substantially the same as that described hereinabove, with the principal exception that the individual supporting frames 22 are spaced further apart so that the polishing blocks 23 of adjacent groups do not intermesh with one another. In this case, the several individual frames 22 are geared directly to the gear 19 so that all of the groups of polishing blocks will be caused to rotate in the same direction.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken asthe preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In polishing apparatus, the combination of a glass carrying table movable in a substantially straight line, a positively rotatable runner frame mounted above said table and projecting therebeyond at opposite sides thereof, a plurality of individual groups of polishing blocks carried by the runner frame and freely rotatable relative thereto, certain of the said blocks being caused to temporarily project outwardly of the sides of said table upon rotation of said runner frame, and means for connecting the several groups of polishing blocks so that the rotation of any one group relative to the runner frame will cause a corresponding rotation of all of the other groups.

2. In the polishing of sheet or plate glass, the method consisting in first mounting the sheet horizontally upon a support and carrying it forwardly in a straight substantially horizontalpath beneath and in contact with a polishing machine provided with a plurality of groups of polishing blocks arranged in annular formation and which a project out past the side edges of the glass sheet, in rotating the several groups of polishing blocks as a unit about a common axis, in mounting the groups of polishing blocks so that they may freely rotate about their individual axes, and in connecting the several groups of polishing blocks together in such a way that the rotation of any one group will cause a corresponding rotation of all of the other groups.

3. In the polishing of sheet or plate glass,- the method consisting in first mounting the sheet horizontally upon a support and carrying it forwardly in a straight, substantially horizontal path beneath and in contact with a polishing machine provided with a plurality of groups of polishing blocks so positioned that the outer block of each group projects out past the side edges of the glass sheet, in rotating the several groups of polishing blocks as a unit about a common axis, in mounting the groups of polishing blocks so that they may freely rotate about their individual axes, and in connecting the several groups of polishing blocks together in such a way that the rotation of any one group will cause a corresponding rotation of all of the other groups.

4. In polishing apparatus, the combination of a glass carrying table movable in a substantially straight line, a positively rotatable runner frame mounted above said table, a plurality of individual groups of polishing blocks carried by the runner frame and freely rotatable relative thereto, the outer polishing block of each group being so positioned that it runs over the edge of the glass sheet upon rotation of said runner frame, and means for connecting the several groups of polishing'blocks so that the rotation of any one group relative to the runner frame will cause a corresponding rotation of all of the other groups.

5. In polishing apparatus, the combination of a glass carrying table movable in a substantially straight line, a positively rotatable runner frame mounted above said table, a plurality of indi- JOHN L. DRAKE. 

